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May 19 , 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels February 16, 2004 Food & History Flowers as match-makers Jeff Cheek Sometimes, a single word can tell a story. Spinster is defined as "an unmarried woman beyond the conventional age of marriage." In Medieval England, women did all the spinning to produce cloth for the family. As her sisters married and began to raise families, they were too busy for the job, so the task fell to the unmarried sister, the spinster. Since marriage was the only choice for ladies in Merry Olde England, finding a suitable husband was her primary goal. Flowers were often used in the search. A long forgotten folk custom was to carefully peel an apple in one long strip without breaking it. The say a prayer and toss it over your left shoulder. The broken peel will give you the initials of your future husband. Apple seeds were also used if the lady had several suitors. Name each pit for a boyfriend then stick them on your face. The last one to fall is the one who will propose. Sometimes, several maidens would get together for a party. They melted lead, or candle wax, then dropped it into a pan of cold water. The resulting shape foretold your future. If it looked like a bouquet there would soon be a wedding. A tree or an animal meant she would marry a farmer. A sword or a gun: You will marry a soldier. A cross was a mixed signal. Protestant ministers were allowed to marry but what if you fell in love with a Catholic priest? On New Year's Day, girls would pin a sprig of Ivy next to her heart. In the language of flowers, Ivy stands for "marriage" or "friendship." The Ivy sprig said she was destined to marry the first single man she speaks to. Naturally, there was a great deal of ducking around corners and hiding to avoid having to speak to someone she detested. We use Laurel, or Bay Leaves, in cooking but these had powerful romantic implications, especially when paired with Saint Valentine. On St. Valentine's Eve (Feb. l3) a young girl would pin a Bay Leaf on the four corners of her pillow with a fifth in the center. She must wear a newly washed nightgown or the charm will not work. Then, before retiring, she prayed:" Good Valentine, be kind to me. In dreams let me my true love see." She would supposedly dream about her future companion. St. John's Wort is used in several herbal medicines. In England it was a talisman. June 24 is St. John the Baptist Day. A single girl would pick some Wort, still fresh with dew, at dawn on the previous day. If the plant was still fresh the next morning, she would have a happy marriage. Sometimes, the reluctant bachelors needed to be nudged a bit. Ash trees are also called Venus of the Woods. They also supposedly hold magical powers of romance. If a girl found an ash leaf with an even number of leaflets, she recited this charm:" The even ash leaf in my hand, the first I meet shall be my man." She threw it toward the man of her choice and let the ash's magical powers do the rest. Finding a four leaf clover brought luck, but a two leaf clover was equally lucky. She put in her shoe while reciting: A clover of two, a clover of two, Put it in your right shoe, The first young man I meet, In field or lane or street, You will have him or one of his name. There is no guarantee that any of these charms will work but a Paradise Pear Dessert is guaranteed to please everyone. Ingredients: 1 14 oz. can pear halves, drained 1 scoop vanilla ice cream 2 tablespoons Kahlua, divided Crushed walnuts Preparation: Place one pear half, center up, on chilled desert plate. Drench with one tablespoon Kahlua. Add scoop of ice cream. Dribble second tablespoon Kahlua over ice cream, garnish with walnuts and serve. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams